Once upon a time...

... I was a counselor with the U.S. Army (... well, actually, I was a "Mental Hygiene Specialist", not a "counselor"). I worked as a drug & alcohol counselor in Korea for a year (2nd Infantry Division - the "Indian Head" folks - on the DMZ), in a "Mental Hygiene" clinic at Fort Bliss (while assigned to an M.P. unit - I also worked with prisoners in a stockade while they awaited either discharge or transfer to the re-training brigade at Ft. Leavenworth), and in a Basic Training unit, evaluating the psychological fitness of new recruits ("Yes, your recruiter lied to you!").

While at the Mental Hygiene clinic, I led "controlling your aggression" classes. The training was based on a wonderful little book whose title I've now forgotten... BUT - it included a very useful tactic: agree with your opponents. This simple tactic pretty much ends the argument.
You say I'm a far-left pinko commie?
You're right. I am.

This gives you breathing space to re-focus the discussion on issues, rather than responding to ad hominem attacks.

This is a tactic I'd like my favored politicians to adopt more often.
"You say I'm a tree-hugging left-wing pinko commie environmentalist?
You're right, I am!"
... "Now, can we discuss the issue of global warming and CO2 emissions?"

"You say I'm a socialist? Fine! You're right, I am!"
... "Now, can we discuss reforming health insurance?"

This was the basis of my brilliant advice to Speaker Pelosi.
"You say I'm complicit in torture and have accused the CIA of lying to Congress? You're right. I am and I did."
... "Now, can we discuss bringing the law-breakers among us to justice?"

It's a guerilla tactic. Don't stand up and get pummeled. Concede the point, and re-direct your efforts to the real issue.

Does this tactic work? Who knows? - No one seems to be taking my brilliant advice!

Yeah, the recession continues... BUT!

At the end of last year, the economy shrank at a staggering 6.3 percent pace, the most in a quarter-century.

Never forget: this is W's recession!

Good question!

Oil Is Plentiful, Demand Weak. Why Are Gas Prices Going Up?

Me? I'll be watching for Exxon's quarterly financial report!

'cuz I know you're dyin' to know!

I've had no responses yet from CIA, Speaker Pelosi, or SecTreas Geithner.

Still, I keep writing letters!

More miraculous still!

Again tonight, KO's "Worst Person" segment did NOT include any Fox personalities... or Rush!

Who knew: there are Republican Hispanic strategists!

GOP Hispanic Strategists Stunned, Outraged By Sotomayor Attacks

I would have guessed the set of "GOP Hispanic strategists" to be empty!

Simple question: why?
Do these people hate themselves?

p.s. I confess that I'm also amazed by and curious about the Log Cabin Republicans.

Just for fun (completely pointless)

A previous post commented on a "Victorian inside joke" included in the Modern Major-General's song from Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance... it involved the lyric, "... and tell you every detail of Caractacus’s uniform."

Here's a song about the Court of King Caractacus (lyrics by Rolf Harris):

YouTube:

lyrics:

Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus, were just
passing by.
All together, now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus,
were just passing by.
Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus, were just
passing by.
Now the ladies of the harem of the court of King Caractacus, were just
passing by.

Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King
Caractacus, were just passing by.
All together, now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the
court of King Catactacus, were just passing by.
Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King
Caractacus, were just passing by.
Now the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King
Caractacus, were just passing by.

Now the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of
the harem of the court of King Caractacus, were just passing by.
[Repeat 4 times]

Now the fascinating witches who put the scintilating stiches in the britches
of the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of
the harem of the court of King Caractacus, were just passing by.
[Repeat 4 times]

Now if you want to take some pictures of the fascinating witches who put the
scintilating stiches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the
noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the court of King
Caractacus...

...you're too late! Because they've just... passed... by!

As advertised: completely pointless!

I'll take this as good news

Multiracial people become fastest-growing US group
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press
28 May 2009
WASHINGTON – Multiracial Americans have become the fastest growing demographic group, wielding an impact on minority growth that challenges traditional notions of race.

I'm not delusional. I know that prejudice based on race/ethnicity will always be with us.
Nevertheless, I do view it as progress that interracial couples no longer elicit none-too-furtive glances in public.

... and this is another "in my lifetime" moment:

Anti-miscegenation laws, also known as miscegenation laws, were laws that banned interracial marriage and sometimes interracial sex between whites and members of other races. In the United States, interracial marriage, cohabitation and sex have since 1863 been termed "miscegenation." Contemporary usage of the term "miscegenation" is less frequent. In North America, laws against interracial marriage and interracial sex existed and were enforced in the Thirteen Colonies from the late seventeenth century onwards, and subsequently in several US states and US territories until 1967.
[Wikipedia, Anti-miscegenation laws]

Until 1967!

Here's the Supreme Court case:

Loving v. Virginia
Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), was a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court declared Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute, the "Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby overturning Pace v. Alabama (1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States.

1967!
In my lifetime!

Congrats & kudos to Kavya Shivashankar

13-year-old Kansas girl wins National Spelling Bee
By JOSEPH WHITE, Associated Press
28 May 2009
WASHINGTON – Cool and collected, Kavya Shivashankar wrote out every word on her palm and always ended with a smile. The 13-year-old Kansas girl saved the biggest smile for last, when she rattled off the letters to "Laodicean" to become the nation's spelling champion.

Public service:

Laodicean
adj.

1. Of or relating to Laodicea.
2. Indifferent or lukewarm especially in matters of religion.

n.

A native or inhabitant of Laodicea.

La·od·i·ce·a

An ancient city of western Asia Minor in present-day western Turkey. Built by the Seleucids in the third century b.c., it was a prosperous Roman market town on the trade route from the East and an early center of Christianity.

[The Free Dictionary by Farlex]

Again: Congrats & kudos to Kavya Shivashankar!

It's a miracle!

KO's "Worst Person in the World" segment did NOT include BillO, Glenn Beck, or Sean Hannity! Not even Rush! It's a miracle!

Me? I find Olbermann's obsession with Fox News... well, obsessive!... and tiresome.
I don't watch BillO, Beck, or Hannity. I don't listen to Rush.
There's a reason for this - and I'm not happy that KO has decided that I really need to see these guys.
Trust me Keith: I don't!

Shredded Wheat?

It took me a while to realize that a commercial for Post's Shredded Wheat wasn't a DNC spoof of Republicans.

"Has progress taken us to a better place?
I'd say it's taken us for a ride.
Honestly, what thanks do we owe progress?"

The commercial makes the point that Shredded Wheat is the same cereal it's always been - simple, nutritious, tasty, etc. No gimmicks. The commercial emphasizes that the cereal has been made with "one simple, honest ingredient" -- 100% natural whole grain wheat, since it was created 117 years ago.

The commercial's tagline could be adopted by today's Republican Party:

We Put the 'No' in Innovation.

Here's the Youtube: Shredded Wheat

This might be more fun if...

There are lots of reasons my blogging frequency diminishes from time to time - mostly related to advice to myself: "Get a life!"

Another reason is... well, sometimes it's just not fun!
Ridiculing the loyal opposition gets tiresome.
... and the issues involved are frequently in fact important!
Reading the news - and the commentary on the news - simply gets wearisome.
Does anyone care about governing? (... as opposed to "all politics, all the time"?)

eBay currency index

That 499.99 GBP item?
Now going for $801.68!!!

Might be time to re-think that European vacation!

I know how to resolve this dispute

Pentagon denies report Iraq prison photos show rape

Know how to resolve this controversy?
Release the photos!

The conservative mind at work

I was going to ignore this, but then realized it fit very nicely within the on-going "the conservative mind at work" thread:

David Shuster: "What evidence do you have that she would put her feelings and politics above the rule of law?"

[Judicial Watch's] Tom Fitton: "Because President Obama chose her."
[emphasis added; stolen from Firedoglake]

Credentials? Reputation? Performance? - none of these means a thing. All that matters: If Obama nominates her, she be bad!

Sigh...

Army chief: Troops could be in Iraq after 2012

Again: Eventually we will walk away from Iraq.
Why not now? Today???

FYI: another letter (based on a post)

Loyal readers will realize: I write letters.

My latest?
To SecTreas Geithner - basically regurgitating Free advice for Geithner: shut up & get to work!.
[I added the helpful suggestion that, if he's not up to SecTreas job, maybe he should consider career as a talk-show host.]

It went out with today's mail.

Congrats to OneFly

OneFly over at Outta the Cornfield got a mention on C&L Monday:

Mike's Blog Roundup
Outta the Cornfield: Last year's Memorial Day post will be next year's as well.

Way to go, OneFly!

Successful Congressional campaigns don't end...

... they morph into re-election campaigns.

I've been spending past couple of days performing some very crude "statistical" analyses on 2008 General Election data... for the Heinrich re-election campaign.
This explains absence of new, riveting blog posts.

Meanwhile... the ABQ old geezers bloggers are planning another night out with malt & hops. If you're interested in joining us, let one of us know (me - if you're reading this you know! Other options: Captain's Log; The Well-Armed Lamb.)

Another reason to NOT support DSCC

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)